election, we didn't, the american people in every survey say this is where we're going to go, we're going to go along with the wishes of the american people and the republicans would get goodwill for doing that. they have to get out of this ideological headrow that they're stuck in and do something for the company. >> the polls give them plausible acceptability of this plan of trying to move forward and, as you say, with the will of the american people. real quickly, though, the jim demint announcement this morning. surprised by that that he's going to be leaving? >> not really. he is one vote in the senate. demint is a staunch conservative. he is pretty well connected to business because that was his culture before he came into the senate. fact is is that he may be able to do more for the conservative movement in this country as head of the heritage foundation than he would be what he's doing in the senate. he was the lead dog about going after obama care. well, that didn't work. there was no waterloo. he is somewhat scarred national live now as far as being legislatively inept bec

-election and the eight or so seats. on the other hand, he still has a very diverse caucus in terms of ideology and it's going to be very difficult. you'll notice in hiss comments he didn't say no to 37%. that said, if he agreed to 37% and he's basically bilateral talks with the president, who says the kwaux is going to approve that. he could end up with a lot of egg on his face if he agrees with the president on this, they go forward with the vote, and it doesn't pass. >> david, the office of management and budget, omb, asking government agencies to figure out what they would cut if we do go over this fiscal cliff. talking a trillion dollars in cuts over ten years. that would mean furloughs for some federal workers, slower hiring, outside contracting, the closer we get to the cliff, the more real it begins to seem. how does that then change the negotiations? >> well, i think it's all part of the political pressure the white house is trying to apply to the congressional republicans. we saw the same thing in '11 when we had the near government shutdown and the dispute over the debt ceil